Hunting Season Ch. 06

Dan sighed, then spun around with deceptive speed and grabbed Black Bird by the shoulder. He twisted and threw her against the wall where she hit with a sickening thud.

"My dear, one of the advantages of being invulnerable is that you can't feel anything." Dan said in what sounded like a practiced lecture. "Unfortunately, that also means that you can't feel anything, ever."

Grace recovered and leapt at him again, one knee driving between his legs while she punched at his throat. Dan took it calmly, then with a vicious backhand threw the smaller woman back and she collapsed into the corner. He looked at his knuckles where a smear of blood coated the back of his hand.

"No sense of touch, no sense of smell or taste, nothing." He said sadly as he licked Grace's blood off the back of his hand. "And, unfortunately for you the only way that I can get close to feeling anything is by making others feel it for me."

Grace pulled herself to her feet, staggering as she held one side of her ribs wincing in pain. I looked over to where Cardinal sat helpless in her chair straining futilely against the bonds that held her there.

"No, no, please no. I'll do whatever you want, anything. Just please stop him, please!" she sobbed as she was unable to tear her eyes away from what was going on in the next room.

"I am sorry, but once Dan starts it is impossible to stop him. I just hope Grace is able to take it." I replied as I moved to the door at the back of the room. I heard a bone crunching thud followed by a scream of pain from Grace, and a scream of anguish from Tina as I closed the door behind me.

I let out a shuddering breath as I left Cardinal's conscious mind in the prison that I had made for it. While Igor was a horrible creation, I had always felt that Song Bird deserved him. I didn't know Cardinal from a hole in the ground, but it wasn't easy watching her worst nightmare come true as she imagined what Dan would do to the woman she loved.

I collected myself and moved through Tina Stane's mind for the second time. The familiar office building with faceless drone thought workers was there, but it was far from the organized and controlled environment I had last encountered. Thought drones ran everywhere, devoid of direction and purpose as Cardinal's mind became more and more focused on one thing, saving her friend. I followed the throng of thoughts as they streamed toward escalators and elevators taking them to the lowest levels of her sub-conscious. The crowd rushed toward what looked like an art gallery and I easily pushed my way through the mob and slid inside.

Cardinal stood there in her battle armour, her helmet held under her arm and her long red hair streaming in an imaginary wind. I braced myself and readied what defences I had, this was her mind and if she realized that I could be in big trouble. Then I had an idea, my appearance shifted as my clothes morphed into a bland business suit and my face blurred into a simple mask. I looked just like one of her thought drones as I moved up to stand beside her and look at what she was staring at.

On the wall there were three large paintings, but these paintings moved like clips from a video. The first showed the inside of a luxury car that had crashed through a guard rail and teetered on the edge of a cliff. Inside there were four people, two unconscious adults in the front, and two terrified children in the back. I recognized Cardinal and her sister as they screamed in panic for their unresponsive parents.

Suddenly, a shape came flying out of the sky to land on the road behind them.

"Don't worry kids, I've got you." The unnamed superhero said in a stereotypical voice as he grabbed on to the rear bumper and started to pull.

"No, no you idiot!" I heard a voice scream and I turned to see Cardinal leaning forward, her jaw clenched in fury. "Not like that! Lift the front, push it, don't pull on the bumper!" she wailed desperately. I turned to see the super pull at the bumper, slowly hauling the car back from the edge, until it came off in his hands. He looked horrified in stunned surprise as the car tilted forward and slid down the cliff.

"That is when your parents died, isn't it?" I asked her as she broke down into tears.

"Yes." She replied between sobs. "There were other ways he could have done that, but he decided to do it like he had read in the comics and it killed them."

I looked at the next picture and saw a gangly teenage Tina Stane putting a trophy in display case filled with other awards. Standing next to her was a woman in her mid 20's dressed in a track suit with her hair in a pony tail. "Good job Tina, we are going to have to get you a larger case if you keep this up." She said as she put her arm around the younger girl's shoulders. I saw the teenage girl quiver at the touch and gently slide closer to the older woman, obviously her coach. Tina looked up at her, and I noticed what this woman either did not or chose to ignore.

"You loved her, didn't you?" I asked and the subconscious representation of Cardinal nodded with a smile on her face.

"She was the only person who ever actually cared about me, after my parents died." She said wistfully. "There were lawyers, caretakers, tutors, but Stephanie was the only one who wasn't in it for a paycheck."

The painting continued to play, and I saw an older, mid 20's Tina looking around an empty warehouse space while Stephanie talked excitedly. I couldn't hear the words, but I could see Tina watching the woman with a look of both pride and determination. Stephanie finished talking and walked over to where Tina stood, 'So, that is the plan. My own gym just like I always wanted.' She said.

'You could have had it sooner if you had accepted my offer.' Tina replied and Stephanie shook her head.

'No, you are my friend, not my partner. Even if you could have bought this building with what you spend on shoes in a month, I could never ask that of you.' Stephanie replied in a no argument voice and Tina raised her hands in mock surrender.

'Alright, alright. At lest let me take you to dinner to celebrate.' Tina responded and clapped her hands girlishly when the older woman accepted.

'Stephanie, there is something that I want to tell you. Something that I have wanted to tell you for a long time.' Tina said nervously, hesitantly reaching out and taking the older woman's hand.

'I know Tina. I have always known, but this isn't the place is it. How about we have dinner, then talk about it over coffee, or maybe a drink.' Tina nodded and turned away with a smile on her lips.

I turned to the last painting and heard Cardinal sob again as the scene started playing. I recognized the warehouse, but now it was crushed flat. The roof had caved in and there was tangled wreckage everywhere. Emergency crews were on the scene putting out isolated fires while police ringed the area with yellow tape. I saw an ambulance pull away and behind it a caped super was talking to a police detective.

'She died, didn't she?' I asked, and Tina nodded numbly, tears running down her face.

'What happened?' I asked.

'Ultra Man was fighting Gigantor. He could have grabbed him and flown him out to sea, or a mile up into the sky. He could have drawn him into the park or over to the abandoned section just a block away. No, he decided to take him on here and punched him down onto Stephanie's new gym.' Tina said with venomous anger.

'That is when you decided to become a super yourself, to show them how to do it right.' I said and she nodded, never taking her eyes off of the final image. No wonder that Cardinal's nickname was No Collateral Cardinal. She hardly ever caused any property damage and there were never any civilian casualties as a result of her battles. There were other supers who called her weak for letting villains go instead of risking that, but they hadn't seen these images.

'That's why you formed the Freedom Flock, to teach these women how to be responsible heroes. To take women who were suffering like you did and turn them into responsible heroes?' I asked, and she nodded in response her face set in heroic resolve.

Here was my leverage, how I was going to break her chain of resolve. 'But is that what you did? Did you make them better, or just set them up for failure?'

I waved my hand and another painting appeared beside the first, one from her own mind where she was trying to make the diva Song Bird follow a script. 'You tried to make Song Bird a team player, show her that she was not alone and could be stronger as part of a group. But instead, you made her arrogant, obnoxious and cruel.'

The painting showed images that I had pulled from Grace's mind about how badly Song Bird had treated her. 'Danielle has been missing for over a month, and you never checked up on her. Instead, you enjoyed the quiet like a parent who has sent an annoying child of to their grandparents. Is that how a responsible leader acts?'

'No, I only wanted to help her. She was so scared, so angry, I just wanted to make her better.' Tina said defensively.

'Make her better, or make the world better without her? Don't worry, I took care of that part.' I said as I showed her Song Bird, scared, broken and sucking my cock in her cell. 'I hope you enjoyed your holiday, she sure hasn't.'

'And Hummingbird, what did you do for her. Try to teach her some mindful meditation? You know what she is going through, how hard it is for her just to live each day, but you didn't want to take a chance on forcing her so you couldn't do what needed to be done. You limited yourself with your own morality and let a poor girl suffer through all your failed attempts.' I said contemptuously as I brought forward another painting, putting it beside the one of the crushed warehouse.

Tina stared vacantly at Xin as she fucked me to orgasm, screaming in pleasure herself then breathlessly thanking me for what I had done for her. Her tiny finger stroked the collar around her neck as she looked up at me lovingly from where she sat straddling my cock.

'I solved her problem in an hour, all because you were too weak to do what you knew needed to be done. You could have found Stephanie a spot in a better part of town. You could have bought the entire building then made sure she got the perfect offer without her ever knowing it. Instead, you stood by while she set up in a low rent warehouse district. Where the fuck do you think the villains set up shop, in midtown? It is your fault she was there, you are the reason she is dead, not Ultra Man.' I told her in a harsh voice and saw her knees buckle.

'Finally, there is Black Bird isn't there. Your other unrealized love.' I brought up another painting from the image from her mind where she was the sexy teacher and Grace was her eager student.

'How unprofessional, letting your personal feelings get in the way of mentoring your ward. How she looked up to you, just like you did to Stephanie. How did you look at her? Lusting after her like a newly divorced woman in a strip club.'

Tina stammered in reply 'No, no, it's not like that. I don't...'

I reached out and grabbed her by the hair, forcing her to look at the image playing out on the wall. 'Don't fucking lie to me like you have been lying to yourself all these years. This is from your own head you slut.'

Tina sobbed, shaking helplessly. 'Its true, its true. I do love her and now she is being beaten by that monster and it is all my fault.' She wailed. I took the moment of her distraction and confusion to strip away her Cardinal armour. It fell off of her like red sand, leaving her standing there in the black unitard that she was currently wearing.

'Yes, yes, you put them here. You tried to craft them in your own image instead of making them better versions of themselves. You were a selfish bitch who thought you were the be all and end all of superheroes and look where it got you.' I said with biting contempt as I stood my arms crossed while I looked down my nose at the sobbing woman.

Tina fell to her knees, her arms wrapped around her chest as she wailed. 'No, no, please stop. Please, don't punish her, punish me, punish me.'

'How would you like a chance to save her?' I said quietly, and Tina looked up at me hopefully.

'How?' she whispered.

'You said you would do anything, right. Well, I can make an arrangement with Ajax to keep her safe, but it will depend on you.'

'What do you mean?' she asked hesitantly.

'You know what this place is, it's a clearing house for captive supers. The villains bring them in, Ajax breaks them, then sells them to the highest bidder. At least that is how it has worked in the past, now apply your business mind to the problem. How can it be better?' I extended a hand to help her to her feet.

She took a breath, collecting herself then stood up and squared her shoulders. Her body shimmered, but now instead of her battle armour she was dressed in a businesslike pant suit. A dark jacket set off the white silk blouse and her long slacks showed the heels and toes of black shiny pumps. Her hair morphed into a businesslike ponytail and she crossed her arms as she looked at me.

'Go on.' She said in the familiar commanding voice.

'Dan takes in defeated heroes brought to him by random villains, breaks them, and then sells them to buyers at an auction. How could this be improved as a business?' I asked and she tapped a pen against her gleaming white teeth as she thought.

'Villains are villains, some must hate each other as much as they hate the heroes that they bring here. He is only realizing half of his available capital.' She said as she gazed off into the distance.

'Right, Dan doesn't care who goes through here and he is secure enough not to be afraid of who he pisses off.' I replied. 'What else?'

Tina walked around the room, her heels clicking on the tiled floor as she spoke 'The inventory is random, no control over the supply or the buyers. He is essentially living hand to mouth, hoping to win the lottery each time. Why not go to his buyers and ask them who they want, then get them for them.'

'Exactly!' I agreed. 'He can take orders, get deposits, tailor his supply chain to a just in time basis instead of buying and hoping to sell.'

'He would require a staff, or at least some reliable contractors to acquire these assets, but that is already happening, and he can certainly develop his own headhunting teams out of his available resources.' Tina finished and turned to look at me. 'This could work, but how does it help Grace and the rest of us?'

'Dan is a psychotic sadist, but he is also a businessman. If you can prove you are of value to him, he will keep you and even make you comfortable, as long as you can produce. Hell, he is using Song Bird as part of his security, and I have convinced him that Hummingbird has more value here than as a one-time sale. If you offer to manage his business, be his CEO, he will keep you too.' I told her.

'How does that protect Grace, she has none of these skills?' She retorted, tapping her foot impatiently.

'Grace is his leverage on you. As long as she is here and safe, you won't fight, or try to escape. And as long as he needs you, he needs her.' I replied, spreading my arms with a flourish.

I could see the wheels turning, this was a way to protect the woman she loved but only by working for a man she despised. I gave the lever one final push. 'Also, if you are the CEO, you can guide who he targets. Instead of just being an example of how heroes should act, why not be the bogeyman who punishes them when they get it wrong?'

She froze, staring at me with wide green eyes. 'That's right, I don't have to put up with them ignoring me when I call them out on the damage they cause, or wait for the villains to get out of jail and back into business. Now I can take them out of the mix permanently, and the ones who are left will be better for it. I can be a source of natural selection, ensuring that dangerous supers are removed from the pool.'

'It all depends on you, are you with me?' I asked as I extended my hand.

She took it in her own slim hand 'It's a deal, Mr. Comber.'

I pulled out of her head, and she looked up at me from where she was bound to the chair. She looked around confused, then leaned to look at the window to the room beside us.

"Grace isn't there, she's safe for now. That was all in your head, to show you what was at stake before we talked business." I told her and she collapsed in relief. "But, Grace is still here and will need to be convinced to play ball or what you saw will happen anyway. She isn't the kind of person to just agree to sit by while you work with Dan, is she?"

"No, no she is a fighter. She will get herself killed before she gives up on us." Tina said as she looked up at me. "How can I prevent that, how can I keep her safe from herself?"

"I can help with that, as long as you agree and do what I say." I told her as I started to unfasten the bonds that held her to the chair.

"You won't hurt her will you? You won't damage her mind?" she asked in a nervous voice.

I stood, having released the last of the cuffs and extended my hand to help Tina to her feet. "I don't hurt anyone, and I don't break minds. I just help you accept what you don't want to, I help you survive."

A short walk down a familiar hall later and the door to the cell slid open as I keyed in the code. We moved through the standard sitting room and I keyed in the code for the inner door. I heard Tina gasp as the door slid open and she saw Grace.

She was naked, except for the white wedge sandals on her feet. The white satin straps still wrapped their way up her calves to fasten just below her knees. Her wrists were pulled over her head, cuffed together and fastened to a chain that hung from the ceiling. The familiar black ball gag filled her mouth and a small line of saliva dribbled down her chin to sparkle on her firm tits.

She was wearing a harness of what looked like brown leather fastened to a collar around her neck. The leather straps circled her tits and met in a buckle on her sternum where a small control box sat. The leather bands continued down over her flat stomach to slide between her legs and wrap around the top of her thighs. Evenly spaced along the straps, small studs shone in the harsh light, occasionally turning black then resuming their metallic sheen.

"This harness disrupts the energy field that gives her her power. She will have to wear it for the rest of her life, but hopefully with some research it can be made a bit less kinky." I said, but Tina wasn't listening. I saw her wide eyes sliding up and down the body of the helpless woman in front of her and her lips parted as her breath quickened. I reached out to touch her hand and gave this arousal a nudge, pushing it toward the sense of duty and protectiveness I had nurtured in her.

"Go to her, explain what is happening." I said as I watched Grace's confused eyes dart between me and Tina. She mmphed into her gag, unintelligible questions that I didn't need to hear to understand.

Tina walked forward and put her arms around the bound woman, squeezing her tight as she hugged her cheek to cheek. "I am sorry, I am so sorry Grace. I didn't mean for any of this to happen but now we are trapped here." She said softly. "Can we take her down, she is no danger to us here?"

"Sorry, Dan had her put there and I am not going against what he did until we have this sorted out." I replied as I walked around behind Grace, out of her line of sight. I wanted her to focus on Tina and what she was doing. Grace tried to follow me with her head but gave up and returned her attention to Tina in front of her.

In her heels, Grace was almost as tall as the redheaded older woman and she looked into her eyes, grunting out questions from behind her gag. I saw her hands clench into futile fists as she pulled against the cuffs and chain but Tina stroked her cheek, whispering soothing words.